


His Other Brothers

by LnMcLennon



Category: Merlin (TV), The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Confessions, Gen, Identity Reveal, Immortality, Reveal, The Inseparables - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26292292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LnMcLennon/pseuds/LnMcLennon
Summary: If, by any chance, they were to die, they would never know about him, about his past. The thing he felt, it was as though it encouraged him to tell them... well, perhaps not the 'I'm immortal' part.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

It would not be appropriate if I called that night cold and dark, because it would be a very dull description. Freezing, damp, threatening, a bit windy and obscure will do better.

The musketeers had had the mission of assuring that a very important letter arrived safely to its destination. It had been sent by King Louis himself, asking for the man they were supposed to give the paper to, to sign it and, hopefully, accept the peace treaty. Because that's what it was… an official, royal and very important document. 

As you must have realized by now, it all went wrong, as usual.

So, long story short, the best Musketeers of France and their Captain, who were already the best soldiers of the King, found themselves in a prison cell, down in the dungeons of an old castle, after successfully failing the mission. And to make things even worse than they already were; they were kept there by the same man who (you guessed!) was supposed to sign the peace treaty!

I know what you're thinking: "these men were geniuses". Yes, my friend, they were.

Except that, well, they weren't.

The four men sat on the wet floor of the undergrounds, caring little for their very obviously expensive leather clothing (because mind you, those were expensive). 

There were manacles decorating the dirty-with-blood-sweat-and-tears walls, which at the same time, supported the backs of our men comfortably and tenderly. -Please note my sarcasm- 

The smell… you don't need to know. The thing is, that it was not the best place to ever exist. Nor was it the place you would want to spend your valuable breath on such a night. And the company… I mean, sure; they were brothers but, a couple of women wouldn't have been so bad. Although that was not a decent room for a lady, the thought of maybe one sitting next to them to keep them warm was worth thinking. Was it not? But then again, bad idea.

Athos, the Captain, just stared at the wall opposite to him, as it had had all the knowledge of the world. His face always showed no more than calmness, when inside his mind, thoughts were racing, trying to find a way to get out of there. He had examined every corner of the room, leaving nothing behind. His gray eyes moved slowly, taking in the very details of the cell, with the sole intention of getting all the information he could into his brain.

d'Artagnan was next to him, pretty much to his discomfort. The long haired lad couldn't have been more than five years younger than his stoic leader. While Athos was a sensible human being, trapped in the form of a living statue, d'Art was an energetic, reckless, naïve and impulsive young man. 

He was moving his left foot insistently, with no intention of ever stopping, and letting his anxiety take over him. Couldn't he just stay still for two seconds? That's what Aramis, the charming one at his left, was thinking.

Aramis, the bravest musketeer of them all -or as he was known at the regiment back home: the self-sacrificing idiot- was praying, for it was the only thing that could be done right then. 

He, being a man of God, held himself tightly to the calmness and hope of His presence, giving in to the safety and warmth he felt in his heart, which slowly spreaded to his whole body. They would be alright. He just knew it. However, that could not be said for Porthos, who sat next to him.

The big man was trying to control his breathing, and to keep his true thoughts down. Porthos was struggling with all the anger that raged in his heart. He would absolutely destroy his hands in order to create a proper hole on the walls behind them, or to separate the bars working as a door. It would be so easy to let it all go. But he knew better than to draw the attention all to themselves. In spite of his strength and big muscles, he did use his brain. Not like others. Namely, d'Artagnan.

They were tired, hungry, not really wounded but their bodies just ached. They had been down there for at least a day and a half, and their captor hadn't even had the decency to greet them and make them welcome. How rude…

…

Between prayers, Aramis felt something. He knew he was safe; he was immortal after all. But his friends were not. If, by any chance, they were to die, they would never know about him, about his past. The thing he felt, it was as though it encouraged him to tell them. Perhaps not the 'I'm immortal' part, but about his brothers from Camelot. 

'Other brothers' was how they referred to the friends Aramis didn't like talking about. They were eager to know what were of those mysterious men. But they also respected his brother's decision to not tell them. He would eventually, but they would have to wait.

…

Athos, after considering every possible outcome of the escaping plan he made, he told the others how exactly things should go.

"This castle is not so big, so there cannot be more than twenty men guarding it within" he began. "Outside there could be more, though. I'm guessing thirty"

"Yeah, well, we are only four" pointed Porthos with a side grin. "So this should be fun"

The musketeers always tried to prevent fighting if possible, but with Aramis and D'artagnan with them, there would be a fight eventually.

"Alright" Athos made a short and precise explanation, letting his inner leader take over. And once he finished, they looked at each other with determination.

d'Art smiled massively and stood, cracking his knuckles. "Let's kill these bastards"

The possibilities of getting out alive were between slim and none, so you sort of get how the fleeing went; as expected.

Surprisingly well. Only Porthos was shot, and it was his shoulder.

No big deal.

…

It was morning when they got to safety. Took their horses with them on the way out, that were still carrying their saddlebags. They were lucky.

Aramis, after looking into his belongings, took out the medical bag and sat next to Porthos. "Let's take a look to that shoulder, my friend" 

He got his friend's pauldron off and removed the thick clothing. The wound needed stitches, the gun ball went all the way through, and the bleeding had stopped, more and less. So, good news! 

In spite of that unfortunate situation, they all sat on some logs around the fire, looking satisfied with how things had turned out. 

It was night time when Aramis realized that his friends were quiet. And it worried him. 

He was usually lost in his thoughts, from time to time, but our immortal man was always aware of his surroundings. However, that time he wasn't. How could he not have noticed the quietness of his brothers? It sounded almost stupid. And the looks the others gave to d'Artagnan. It was strange.

So he studied them for a while before asking what was wrong.

The gascon rubbed his hands on his face. "It's just, well-

"d'Artagnan was just wondering about your past" Athos interrupted. "But we know you don't like to remember whatever happened"

Of course it was about them. The Spaniard sighed. "Someday, you know, I will tell you" you could tell them right now.

"Can't it be today?" asked the youngest "We, kind of, really want to know"

Porthos was still silent, Aramis figured, because he also wanted to acquire this knowledge.

Aramis sighed again, and passed his fingers through his hair. He wanted to tell his friends about his past life, but it was just not possible. They would not believe anything. Not one thing. Tell them about himself meant skipping parts, lying, and Lancelot hated lying; after all, in a way, it was Lance's past more than it was Aramis'.

"Why won't you talk to us, Aramis?" asked Porthos with a soft tone. "We are aware that giving you time is the best way for you to trust us, but… we can see that these people were important to you, and haven't had anyone to talk about them"

"We want to help" finished Athos.

Help him open up. Help him with his ghosts from the past. Help him ease his mind. 

So he decided.

He would tell them… sort of.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Aramis stared at the fire for a bit, so he could compose himself.

It'd been so long since he last thought about his long lost friends. Aramis, sometimes, was caught daydreaming; an ability he had developed over the years. He's lost too many people in his life, so he would often think about those who weren't there anymore. Like Gwen, Arthur, Percival… Merlin.

He's been grieving alone for too many years, and in front of him, there were people he could trust, his friends, his brothers, his new family, who would support him, hold him, and tell him that everything was going to be fine. They were there to help him carry the weight of his burden. 

Aramis cleared his throat and started telling his story. 

….

The other three musketeers looked at their dear friend actually considering sharing what had happened in his past. And they all startled when suddenly Aramis started speaking.

"I grew up in a very small outlying village. Soldiers wouldn't go to those parts, so the only new people we had were travellers. I didn't have many friends due to this. There was only another kid my age at the time, but his parents would never let him play with me. So, my father, to distract me, used to tell me stories about the bravest knights and powerful kings. So much he told me, that it became my dream to be one.

…One day, some mercenaries lit the village up on fire... leaving me as the only survivor"

A handful of gasps filled the silence. They had been that close to losing their friend, all those years ago, without even knowing who he was. Later they realized that the suffering their brother experienced in Savoy was worse than they thought. He must have had flashbacks of his childhood… if they had known… 

There's no way of telling what they could have done. They still didn't have the entire story.

But before they could ask anything, Aramis kept going.

"I don't know how I survived, but I managed to escape that place and headed to a bigger city, one that I knew would have what I looked for: an opportunity for me to become a knight.

Of course, I was too young, but once I grew up, overcame my fears and had the necessary skills, I started my journey to what I thought, was my destiny"

Aramis let the information sink in the mind of his brothers. It wasn't too much, but enough to show them that his story was a long one. And they did realize this, because they could not bring themselves to ask anything really.

They wouldn't interrupt the opening up of their closed brother. They just couldn't. They would wait for him to finish telling his story, no matter how long it would take. It was a promise made silently between each other.

For what it seemed like ages, nobody said anything, afraid of breaking the somehow comfortable silence.

Aramis spoke again. 

"But my dream didn't last long.

Eventually, I arrived to a city known for its strict laws, which no one dared to break. Laws that could get you killed if played with. But this place was also known by the warriors that protected it. Actual knights, with bright shining armor, skilled in every possible combat art, who wore long red coats with the royal emblem on the side; the Golden Pendragon Crest"

The Jesuit knew that he was giving away a bit too much about King Arthur and all, but he also knew that no one really knew the last name of the glorious King Arthur of the five hundredth century AC. So… it didn't really matter. However, as he thought about this, his friends were absolutely spellbound with his tale. That place sounded like a dream.

"But when I was about to go through the city gates, I saw something of a hazel colour. And whatever it was, it was huge. Of course, being me, I chased it down, until I found it out to be a large beast like I've never seen before!

It had big claws and it had the size of a carriage! But it didn't notice me, for it was focused on attacking this one, skinny guy, who obviously could not protect himself. So I jumped in front of the boy, that couldn't be more than twenty one summers, and mortally wounded the beast.

I turned to the other man, who was then on his feet and asked him if he was alright. And after assuring each other that we weren't in any way harmed, we introduced ourselves.

His name was Merlin… and I knew that from that moment, I could trust him.

He, then, became my friend"

****

"Is he one of your brothers?" asked d'Artagnan.

"The very first one" replied Aramis with a sad smile. Did he miss him… 

"Tell us about him?" 

Aramis closed his eyes looking for the memories he so long ago had buried. But he needn't look far, because he found them immediately. 

With his eyes still closed, he sighed as though he were smelling the most delicious dessert. "Merlin was… the bravest person I've ever met. He was loving and caring, and his kindness crossed all borders. But he carried this heavy burden and wouldn't let anyone help him carry it. 

A couple of days after we met, I found out about it. We’ve shared the weight ever since… even though I don't know where he is right now, or if he is anywhere in that case, I want to pretend that we still carry it together"

The marksman started to remember every little moment with his long lost friend. Their fight with the griffin, their talks, all those times they escaped danger and faced it up. 

If only he was there.

The musketeers noticed how his brother lost himself more and more in the memories he had in his mind. This Merlin guy seemed to have found the way into his brother's heart for a long time. And it showed that Aramis loved him dearly.

However, staying in that state of mind wasn't always good, for he could get into a state of depression, and depressed Aramis wasn't an enjoyable thing to presence.

So, while Athos and Porthos dedicated themselves to listen, the youngest asked the questions.

"And what happened next? After the fight with the beast?" 

Aramis chuckled slightly. d'Artagnan could behave as a kid sometimes.

"Well, after we both introduced ourselves, Merlin and I walked to the city. And after some time talking about us, I told him about my dream of becoming a soldier. And that's when it happened…"

"Happened what?" asked d'Artagnan, totally focused on the story.

"I met my second brother, Arthur.

It turned out that Merlin worked for him as his manservant, but their relationship was not a normal one; they were best friends. Sure, they were master and servant, but they only behaved that way in front of others, when in reality, they would banter and roast each other. When Arthur was having a tough day, Merlin would cheer him up and vice versa. They would go everywhere together, and everyone knew that they had each other's back. That they shared a bond. It was beautiful.

But what surprised me the most, was that Arthur wasn't just a noble"

"He wasn't?" asked Athos.

"When I asked Merlin about where I could go to start my training, he told me that the crown prince himself had to meet me first. That we would have to fight, and that I should give him a certificate that I was of noble blood."

"But you aren't" said Porthos.

"No, my dear Porthos, I'm no noble, so I told him that. But Merlin said "Y'know what? I'm talking to the prince about you. He's going to love you once he knows you've saved my life!". I couldn't believe him. He was just a servant. How could he speak with the prince about that if they wouldn't even cross paths? And that's when he told me, that Arthur was the prince"

"No way!" expressed d'Artagnan. "A prince!?"

"I suppose he was nothing like normal nobles" said Athos.

"Aramis, being brother of a prince? Now that I don't believe" Porthos looked incredulous at his brother, just like the others, asking with their eyes for answers.

"Yes, well. Arthur was the Crown Prince at that moment. His father was a feared King, one that made sure his people followed the laws by word; but Arthur was different from him, you know. He didn't care about status and titles, because all he looked for in people was if they were good hearted and trustworthy"

"And how did you two, y'know, become brothers?" asked Porthos.

"Remember that beast I saved Merlin from? It came back. Even mortally wounded, it attacked the people in the nearby villages. So Arthur, Merlin and a bunch of knights went where all the troubles were, and of course, I went along"

"Wait" cut Athos "You're saying that prince Arthur went to the mission? To, what? Watch?"  
How come a prince, Athos thought, could have joined such a dangerous quest?

"I'm telling you. He was different. Arthur didn't like staying behind. Even less when he had the power to do something, to help. He being the future King, felt that he owed that to his people, and would have felt unworthy of leading them if he couldn't fight for them himself"

The guys took some time to get the idea of such a good leader fully. They've never heard Aramis talking so highly of any high class person. Just like they've never heard such things done by a Prince. 

But they wouldn't dare to think that all of that was invented. The musketeers were looking at his brother for any sign of lies, but there were none. Aramis was being completely truthful. More than they had ever seen him be. He was telling the truth, and they would listen to every bit.

"And then?" d'Artagnan waited for Aramis to continue his tale.

"Then, the beast appeared. I wasn't close enough, so I jumped to a horse and with a quarterstaff I killed the thing. But it was actually team work, so I felt really uncomfortable when Arthur thanked me for my performance." 

And this is a perfect example of telling them the truth, but not exactly. He couldn't tell them about Merlin's magic, now could he? It wasn't only hard to explain and believe, but also totally random. He had sceptical brothers; if they didn't believe in his God, then how could they believe in magic?

"He just thanked you?" 

"No. He also asked me to become one of his knights… but, his father wouldn't allow it. So I just… left"

The phrase "I just left" was thrown to the air to be left lingering on. He just left? That's not- how- I mean, why would he-

"What?!" The three of them yelled.

"You left!?" asked d'Art "Why in the world did you!?"

"It wasn't an easy decision. I did want to be there, but I could not take the whole credit for something I didn't accomplish. Besides, I was getting in the way of their relationship, and felt that I was not ready to serve him. 

All I went there for, was to become a soldier. I wanted to fight for Arthur, and had to prove to him that I was worthy. But I had to prove it to myself"

He sighed and looked at the sky. It was late. He was tired and was sure his friends were too. He also realized that lying wasn't his thing, for there were a couple of gaps in his story, and some things didn't make sense. Such a bad liar. So, he stood and stretched a bit.

His brothers saw Aramis fight slumber, moving a little, opening his glassy eyes as fast as they had closed; it was enough stories for that night.

"Ahhhg" expressed Porthos loudly widening his arms. "I could really use some sleep right now"

"We all could" said Athos. Then, he looked at Aramis "Thank you for sharing with us this peace of your life 'Mis, we know it was hard"

"Yeah well, I figured I would have to tell you someday, why not today?" He said and then looked at d'Artagnan, who smiled at the answer.


	2. Chapter 2

The first lights of the day were already creeping up the horizon when Aramis woke up. After a night like the last, he felt as though a heavy weight had gone off his shoulders. 

They knew.

Not much, but they did. And that's all that matters.

He took off his coat and stood. Stretched a bit and breathed the fresh air. How nice.

The breeze was chilly while the day seemed good enough; perfect. He went to collect some firewood and came back to build the fire. And once it was done he sat and waited for his brothers to wake up. 

It was still early and no one had woken him for watch duty, so he figured they were just as tired as he was. The only difference is that they got to keep sleeping. Aramis wouldn't try to go back to sleep. He wanted to watch for any troubles and pay them back for being so understanding.

Honestly, it hadn't even been as hard as he thought it would be. It was actually liberating. The fact that the people that mattered the most to him, now were part of that life, were part of Lancelot.

Lancelot and Aramis were the same person, but so completely different.

While Aramis enjoyed women, drinking, fighting and broke the rules whenever he felt like it, Lancelot was kind, humble, quiet, respectful of the law and always tried to avoid combat… One thing they shared though, was their marksman abilities.Lancelot was good with bow and arrows, and Aramis with the musket. They were also loyal, and loved the same way.

...should he tell them? About him? They only wanted to know about his brothers, but now, could he tell them about himself? How he has another name? How he had to be the way he is because he didn't want to be found? Found by Morgana again. He would have to explain everything. They wouldn't believe him, they would hate him for lying, they would feel betrayed. 

He was now worried.

"Hey"

That told him that he had been in deep thought.

"Are you ok?"

Aramis looked at his brother and smiled "Yeah, just thinking"

"About?"

"Mostly yesterday. It meant a lot to me"

"Yeah well, we are glad you opened up to us, y'know? To know you finally trust us"

This erased Aramis' smile.

"Aramis?"

"There's something… you should know about me"

*****

After Athos and d'Artagnan woke up, they made breakfast and ate around the fire. This moment was supposed to relax Aramis a bit, but it was obvious for everyone that he was more stressed out than the day before.

Porthos had said that Aramis was going to tell them something more about him. Sure, they were excited to hear of it -mostly d'Artagnan- and knew for a fact that this decision was not to be taken lightly. However, if this caused such distress on their brother, then it would have been better for him to take his time. No one hurried him to say anything.

Aramis cleared his throat and looked at the three men in front of him. Breakfast had finally finished and felt ready to say the next things. He just hoped they would be as understanding as they were yesterday.

"Y'know… even after leaving Arthur and Merlin, we kept coming across each other, for one reason or another. But every time we met, it was to fight a third. And when we finished, we would go our separate ways. Along mine, I met Percival, a big, muscly and surprisingly soft man. I would think he was the same size as you, Porthos.

And after all those years, there always was this particular person that brought us together. She was- kind of like the Cardinal. She was really powerful and many people followed her"

Who could this be? they asked themselves. A woman who was as powerful as the Cardinal.. Maybe…?

"A Queen?" 

"No, d'Artagnan, imagine the hell we would have lived. But being the queen was her aim. And she certainly tried.

One day she took her chances and invaded the citadel. With her, she brought a seemingly immortal army and her sister along. She took over the whole city, crowned herself the new queen and killed or imprisoned anyone who disagreed with the changes"

"That's horrible" d'Artagnan thanked that none of the enemies of King Louis had attempted to do anything like that yet.

"It was. It couldn't have been more than two days later, that a letter arrived at the camp I was staying at. It was from Merlin, and he was asking for help to defeat her. It seemed like he and Arthur had managed to escape in time, thank God.

Percival, who in little time had won my trust, came with me. And days later when we found them, we found that they were not alone. A serving girl, Guinevere was with them, her brother Elyan, Sir Leon and the court physician Guias were there as well.

Oh! And a man called Gwaine.

Time after, we all found a place to hide, and got to know each other. Arthur, out of the 'magic' of the moment, not only did he name me, but others too, official knights of his.

When I looked around me in that exact moment, I realized that, after all that time, after struggling so many years, I had got my family. My brothers"

Gasps were heard in that little clearing, and Aramis was sure that they hadn't even realized that they had been the ones that did it. This thought made him smile.

"And that's how you met your other brothers?"

"Yeah, pretty much"

"But before" said Porthos "you looked so worried. Was it about this?"

"No. Actually, it's about what comes after.

She was defeated that time, but didn't stop trying to kill each of us" 

Which was true but, how was he going to explain the Dorocha? He couldn't exactly tell them that a bunch of killing spirits came out of the rip of the broken veil that Morgana had opened through sacrificing her own sister, and that the he was the one to repair it by walking in and giving himself in to the same dark spirits and in the process killing himself and saving the whole continent?.... Yeah.

"...So, I was forced to escape" Yeah "I didn't want to go, but that's how things went. And… I've been escaping ever since"

What?

Seconds before, they were all feeling the sad look of Aramis. It was notorious that he was hurting, that his heart ached at the memory of him leaving his family. But, that threat is still out there? That woman is roaming free, looking to kill their friend? 

"What about the others?" asked Athos, dreading the answer, and hoping it would be that all of them were ok and still fighting. But maybe, it was too much hoping.

"We were nine in total…" Guias, Gwen, Arthur, Merlin, Percival, Elyan, Gwayne, Leon and me, Lancelot. "One of them is missing, Merlin. He uh, one day, disappeared and was never found"

God no… they all thought. He must be somewhere. Alive.

"Five others are dead" it hurt to admit it out loud. He hated being alive. He really did. "I know nothing about two of them. And well, I'm still here, hiding"

He lost… everyone.

"We can't begin, to express, how sorry we are, Aramis" said Athos. 

"However" said d'Artagnan "I'm sorry, but you're not doing a good job at hiding, y'know?"

"The pup is right" agreed Porthos "Damn 'Mis, you're a Musketeer! A known one at that! This crazy woman would find you right away!"

"In that you're wrong, dear friends" it was now or never. "She could never find me, because she doesn't know me as Aramis"

"What do you mean?" asked Athos "You mean she knows you as Renè?"

"No… I mean, that there's no way anyone from my past would be able to find me, because to them Aramis doesn't exist"

Silence. 

"What?"

"What are you saying?"

"I don't get it"

"What do you mean 'doesn't exist'?"

And when the rain of questions stopped, Aramis said:

"My name is Lancelot, and I'm not who you think I am"

*****

It was early in the afternoon and birds were wide and awake, singing beautifully and flying around. Fortunately, they weren't able to sense the tension in the nearby camp.

Three out of four of the musketeers that were there, found themselves in a good state of shock. Their friend, their brother had lied to them? For how long? Why? Does he actually consider them brothers?

They felt betrayed, angry, confused, and sad. But didn't say a word. They were waiting for the man to speak up and explain. However, Porthos couldn't wait patiently like before. No, he needed answers, they all did.

"Explain Aramis'" growled Porthos.

Aramis, or should we stay with Lancelot?, cleared his throat and moved a bit in his place. 

"Look, plenty of things have happened because of this woman. Believe me, people that escaped her were no cowards. 

But she and me… we have history. We never did anything! I hated her. She used me, manipulated me, we think using some kind of drug. I was at her mercy for a long time, and hurt many of my friends. 

Even though I had no control of my actions, I still feel guilty.

She could have used anyone, but I was her favourite puppet.

So, when I left, I had to make sure that she would never find me again, that she would never know where Lancelot was. If she is still out there, she thinks I'm dead"

"And what did you do next?"

"I traveled, until I got here. I… I met a woman, she was Spanish. She took care of me for a while. And she was the one to help me choose my new name.

I let my hair grow and changed the way I dressed. I had to change some recognizable features of mine as well, and when I got tired of Spain I headed to France"

"Who are you really then?" Porthos aggressively asked. He understood why Aramis did what he did, but he was still damn angry.

"Right now, I'm Aramis"

Before Porthos could say anything, Athos stopped him and asked himself. "No. We are asking you, who is Lancelot. What were you like?"

"Well, I was nothing like Aramis… I, don't enjoy fights, not really. I believe it is better to avoid them. And all the drinking and women, I mean sure it's fun, but ladies shouldn't do these kinds of things. It's disrespectful to their bodies and husbands. 

Before, I wasn't able to speak to women. But the thing is, that I wasn't much of a talker anyways. I only talked when it was necessary, or was asked something.

Insults! I've always hated insulting… it's impolite"

Impossible…. He was nothing like they thought. He was the opposite.

Yeah, great job at hiding.

"I just…" Aramis looked at the others. They weren't even looking back at him. 

He then made a really risked decision. One that made sense. It was obvious that they wouldn't be able to trust him for a while. So, he would just leave. Take some time, give them a break without him. He would talk to Treville when they got there. Just for some time, it was for the best.

"I'm sorry"

"And what about us!? Were we just a game? A façade? A means to an end? Fuck you Aramis" 

Porthos found that he wasn't angry. He now was hurt. What he thought was his best friend, ended up being a fraud. He knew nothing about him. He still understood; he wished he didn't but he did. However, he needed to know this, if they had been used as a façade to escape the enemy. If the answer was yes, he-

"No!" Aramis almost yelled "I would never do that to you, to any of you! Don't you dare think that I used you"

And with his most honest eyes, he added "It's been hell since I lost my brother's all those years ago. I've roamed this world aimlessly, knowing that I was completely alone, until I found you. In the Garrison, in Treville, in all of you, I found a family. You were never a façade, you could never be. I did lie about my past and my character, but I never tricked you or lied to you when it came to my values, my dreams, my hopes. I-... You are my brothers, and I-

I hope you'll see, one day, that my love for you is real"

"I get it" Aramis looked at Athos with incredulous eyes "I know what it's like, to hide a past from everyone in your life, to try and protect them by not revealing yourself. I would be an hippocrat if I didn't forgive you for this"

"Athos is right" agreed d'Artagnan "I mean, with everything you've been through, we can't really point our fingers at you and call you 'lier'"

"I should have known" voiced Porthos with a soft voice.

"You couldn't have" replied Aramis with the same voice.

"No, I should have. This explains so much; how you sometimes will do or say things we never thought you would, or when you show a kind of shyness that we always thought was pretending, and whole other situations like that. It was you, the real you, and we brushed it off. We didn't ask. But I've known you longer, I'm your best friend and I'm supposed to know you well… I thought I did"

"You still do, Porthos"

"No, I don't. The man I know has a Spanish mother and an asshole of a father, he was born here in France and talks his ass off! You are not that man"

"But I am"

"No, you're not!"

"Yes I am! I am both; Lancelot and Aramis, they are two sides of me, both genuine. The others met my shy side, but you met the more outgoing one! I'm still the same person, you do know me, all of you"

"Oh Porthos don't cry"

"Shut up whelp"

"So… does that mean we're ok?" and that I don't have to leave the Garrison because fuck I wouldn't stand it?

The three musketeers shared a glance and looked back at their brother.

"Yes"

A relieved sigh escaped Aramis.

"But" interrupted Porthos "I'm still angry"

Aramis smiled kind of amused "I know"

"And should I say" said Athos "how genius of you to use code names out of the Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table?"

Huh?

"Huh?"

"Yeah!" laughed Porthos "Arthur, Merlin, Percival, Lancelot. Loved that"

"Did you use them between you or was it just you that came up with it to protect their identities?" asked d'Art.

"Uh… that's how we called each other, actually"

"Cool"

********

Late that afternoon, they decided to stay one more night. If they went back to Paris in that moment, night would fall too soon. So they chose to leave first thing tomorrow morning as the previous day had done.

In the meantime, being that they had nothing to do, the guys chose to keep interrogating Aramis, and little by little, they found out that he wasn't that different. Also, they heard some incredible stories they've never heard before!

And when night fell, they ate some delicious dinner -courtesy of Merlin's recipe- and went to sleep, leaving Athos on guard duty.

Athos reviewed the conversations that had taken place there in the last two days. Would things be the same? Not only did they discover that their friend was in danger, but also that he had a secret identity.

It was hard to picture Aramis living a quiet life, wearing shiny armor, with no beard and hanging out with a Prince -who then, surely, became a King-. And the relationship he had with this servant Merlin. He said they were like ten? Nine? That's a lot of people. A physician, two servants, a Prince, two nobles, and three peasants. He's never heard anything like it. 

Athos stood up and was about to wake Aramis up -it was his turn now- when he heard a tree branch cracking near them. 

A deer, he thought. But threw that hypothesis away when he heard the noises better. Those steps were too heavy to be a deer's… and too many to be just one. Bandits. Great. Just great.

"Bandits?" d'Artagnan had woken up with the now loud noises.

"Yes" Athos slowly moved to wake Porthos up, indicating d'Artagnan to do the same with Aramis. 

Soon the four of them were awake and covering each other's backs, surrounded by maybe ten to fifteen armed men. They've handled worse.

Each of them took care of two to three men, and seemed easy enough. However, when the numbers started falling, musket bullets began to be shot out of nowhere. Snippers.

d'Artagnan had finished, so had Porthos. They tried to duck the bullets and shoot back, but there was no use, for they couldn't see from where they were coming from. Athos slaid his last opponent and Aramis was about to finish with his.

The marksman was fighting against a man slightly taller than him, and was about to finish the bandit off when the enemy grabbed Aramis' arm and turned him around, forcing the musketeer to face the forest.

When the others realized what this meant, they ran to help his friend who was about to be shot by the misterios spinner. But it was too late; a loud noise sounded, and Aramis fell to the ground.

Porthos quickly beheaded the guy and ran to Athos and d'Artagnan, who were trying to keep Aramis awake.

"Hey, hey, don't, c'mon, look at me" they heard d'Artagnan say. 

Athos, who was keeping Aramis' head on his lap, tapped his cheeks, forcing him to stay awake.

They look so desperate to keep me alive, Aramis' thought, I really want to stay with them. 

"Aramis!" Athos yelled "Don't you dare pass out! We won't have that!" He looked at Porthos, who had brought the medical kit.

"Let go of him now, Athos. Let's switch places. You sew him up"

"Of course"

This is how this life ends, huh? A bullet through the heart. Is this what I'm fated to go through? Life and death, hellos and goodbyes? Is this what destiny has planned for me?

Athos moved to grab the thread and needle while Porthos took Athos' place. Meanwhile, d'Artagnan never let his hand slip from the wound that was located right in his heart.

They knew he wouldn't survive. It was impossible to. All the blood coming out of his chest told them that the bullet had reached the heart. There was nothing no they could do.

I'm tired of fighting Destiny. I know I will never win. I don't want to give up, but I know I'm dying, and I can hold on any longer….

Everyone, even though they barely moved, seemed to be in a rush. Going all so fast. Until Aramis spoke.

"Don't"

"Aramis! Aramis, stay awake, can you hear me?" Porthos insisted.

"No, please, let me go"

"What are you talking about" asked d'Art worriedly.

"I'm tired…I'll never… fate… to-to live" Aramis started mumbling and rambling, slowly closing his eyes.

"No no no no, Aramis? Don't do this" 

Athos touched d'Artagnan's shoulder and looked at him, silently asking him to stop trying. "But, Athos…"

The youngest looked at his mentor with desperation and disappointment, knowing that Athos wouldn't keep trying to fix Aramis, so he turned to Porthos, but when seeing his lost and resigned look, he understood that there really wasn't anything they could do, but let Aramis go.

It wasn't long before Aramis closed his eyes and, eventually, stopped breathing. But he did not leave before giving them a soft 'thank you' and 'I love you'


	3. Chapter 3

They felt… empty.

Their brother was still next to them, on the floor, laying, unmoving… dead. He's been for the last few hours. They did not know for sure, nor cared.

The sun was coming out and yet they didn't feel its heat. Just cold, slumber and pure sadness.

Athos had shut himself in. He didn't think about anything but his lost friend. Didn't hear a sound, didn't feel a thing. Just had a deep desire of a glass of poisonous alcohol. He needed it more than anything- no, scratch that, he needed his brother back. Aramis had been the first person to treat him like one, to be his friend. He seriously thought they were going to be together forever, but now it's not gonna happen.

d'Artagnan didn't know how to feel. He's lost people before, really close people. His mother, his father, but never a brother, not like Aramis. He felt the sorrow, the anger towards those bastards, and somehow, he also felt relief. He hoped Aramis was now with his friends in a better place. That thought alone was keeping him from crushing himself with grief.

Porthos was just angry. He was with the pup at first, trying to save Aramis from death, but after hearing his brother's pleading, he chose to just let him go; and he was so mad for that! Was it too soon? Fuck yes. Would have they been able to save him, despite the low chances of survival? They would have tried. But it was too late. He knew they've been sitting there for quite a while. He also knew that they had to go back to Paris, explain some things to Treville and the King, and… bury Aramis. But his mind just wasn't working.

After Aramis had died, Athos had taken the bullet out and closed the wound. If it weren't for his pale skin and bloody clothes, one would think he was sleeping. Porthos kept looking at him, at his chest, his eyes, mouth, fingers, looking for a sign of consciousness, but that chest had long stopped moving.

But then… his eyes twitched. He knew it was normal for passed people to move like that. Their muscles would- there! It did it again. His fingers too… his chest! It- it was raising and falling! Suddenly…

No. He was being tricked by grief. Resurrection was not a thing, and Aramis, even if it hurt admitting, was sure as hell dead. But, just to be sure…

Porthos placed his hand on the chest of his friends, and noticed how it raised and fell under his hand. He quickly moved it to his neck and checked for a pulse and… there was one. There was a pulse! Aramis! He-

"Aramis! Wake up"

"Porthos, please" whispered d'Artagnan "Don't make it hard for yourself. You know he died, just look at him!"

"No! Pup you look at him! Athos, you look too! There's a pulse! He's breathing!"

d'Art went to check if Porthos was right or just delusional, and there. A pulse. Impossible. Aramis had been dead for hours! 

The youngest looked at Athos with surprise in his face "Athos. Come"

Athos, slowly, got closer and noticed the chest and eyes of his passed friend moving. No way.

"Aramis?" He tried "Aramis"

****

He felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. Y'know, perks of being unable to stay dead. He knew this, expected this. Complete darkness. He'd experience this before, two times in fact. And it had been the same both times.

How long had it been this time? A month? A year? One thousand more? He just knew that he was waking up, and probably alone again. Without d'Artagnan, Porthos and Athos… they were probably dead already. He silently grieved them. Why did this keep happening to him? The realization that he had just lost more people made him relive the moment it happened for the first time. The third time he had 'been born', he found out that the Round Table was nothing but a myth. Now, his brothers from 1630 may be called 'The four musketeers' or… 'The three?'

"Aramis?" 

What?

"Aramis" 

This can't be happening…. That voice…

"A...thos?"

"He's waking up!"

"He's alive"

"Can you hear us?"

Aramis cracked his eyes open and found light. And then, it was covered by some shadows.

There they were. His brothers.

"Aramis?"

"Heya pup" whispered Aramis with a smile.

*****

Aramis was showered and dressed in no time. None of the three could believe his eyes. It had been a true miracle! Aramis died but lived again!

Around the fire they made three days ago, they sat and ate, even though none of them were hungry… well, Aramis was.

But when he saw that they were looking at him with awe, undeniable happiness and relieve, he cleared his throat and put the bowl of stew down.

"About what happened earlier… you can't say anything"

"What? Aramis, the Captain has to know about this"

"No! Never. No one can ever know, ok?" 

"But why?" They asked. It was amazing; he was dead, and now alive. Even if they didn't understand it fully.

"Because…" he sighed "that's the secret we share with Merlin… we are- Gosh this is crazy. We, kinda, can't die. Like, immortality and all, y'know? Us two"

Well. That was a nice piece of news. 

"That- that can't- you're lying" stuttered Porthos

"No, my friend, I wish I was lying. But it's true"

Athos sighed and scratched his tired eyes "If I hadn't just witnessed you come back from the dead, I would honestly think of you mental"

"And" said d'Artagnan with a scared face "and how did you find out?" Now everyone was afraid of the answer.

"How do you think?" He answered with a sad smile "This is not the first time I die"

"Tell us"

"Well um… ok, so, there were like evil spirits? Called the Dorocha. Terrifying creatures, those ones. They killed anyone they came across, and had come out of this rip on the veil that separates our world from their world, and it became our job to fix the whole thing"

Upon seeing the incredulous look on his brothers' faces, he continued.

"The only way to end with the chaos was to sacrifice someone. I know, it's stupid. Yeah, we all thought the same, but it had to be done.

Arthur was going to do it himself. As I told you before, he believed that if he wasn't able to fight for his people, then he didn't deserve them fighting for him. But Merlin, his best friend, wouldn't allow it. And I wouldn't allow it either. So, when Arthur was about to be killed, Merlin knocked him out. And when Merlin was going, I- I just- I went instead of him. And died"

They were speechless. Truly and utterly speechless. That was totally crazy. How?

"And, how did they- I mean, what did they do to you?"

"I don't remember. I know they ripped me apart. And that it was really painful"

Because they didn't know how to answer this, Athos asked another question.

"Did you- die other times?"

"Yes. But I didn't come back as fast as this one. The second time, I was gone for a year. And I wasn't myself. The woman I told you about? She, sort of, killed me afterwards"

"What? How?"

"Stab wound in the stomach. Died instantly"

"And… when did you wake up, that time?"

He sighed with sadness and a bit of confusion "One thousand and one hundred years later"

That explains everything, Athos thought. So, he had to ask.

"Then it's true?"

"What it's true?"

"You're really him? Lancelot of the Lake? Original knight of the Round Table? Best friend of King Arthur and his wizard Merlin?"

"What?!" The other two yelled. 

"It makes sense" kept Athos "The kindness, the bravery, the respect. It's so Lancelot, so you… So, are you?"

Aramis looked at his friends, who had discovered the truth kind of on their own. And he liked it. He loved it, in fact. He felt… happy, relieved, accompanied.

"Yeah" he laughed.

"It's me"

**"""""

There wasn't much left to say. Not really. They just headed back to the Garrison that morning and got scolded by Treville, who had been worried sick about the Inseparables, who had just gone to deliver a peace treaty and came back with nothing and five days later, and acting weird. Especially around Aramis. But they never said a thing.

The day they arrived, the four of them went to the tavern. Just to chill things out.

"Y'know" started Porthos "I've been thinking"

"Oh please" said Aramis "Enlighten us"

"Now that we've found out 'bout you' deal, we can use you as bait" 

This made them laugh.

"I could, you know. I heal fast enough"

"Oh no, my friend" Athos filled up Aramis' cup with more wine "We'll not be losing you again any time soon"

"Now now, a toast" announced the big man "To being alive"

Yeah, Aramis' thought, to being alive. 

"Oh Aramis" called d'Artagnan.

"Yes?"

"Who was the woman you talked about?"

"Yeah" said the others "Who's the bitch?" Added Porthos.

"Oh yeah. Morgana, Arthur's sister" 

"What?!"

"Surprise?"

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, great ending, I know.
> 
> If you've got this far, thank you so much, it means a lot!  
> It's taken me forever to finish this fic, really. Every time I opened the document to read it and finally post it, there was always something that had to be changed *sigh* 
> 
> Anyway, thank you and be safe!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! May I present to you my first multichapter fanfiction! I know, I know, it's beautiful.  
> Jokes aside(? Hi, I've been kinda obsessed with the whole "Lancelot is immortal and now is a Musketeer called Aramis" idea, and have read everything there is about it online, and I thought it would be fun to give it a try.
> 
> Also, I'm not a native English speaker, but funnily enough, I find it easier to write in this language; so any and all corrections will be welcomed, be it preposition use, grammatical mistakes, phrasal verbs, anything.
> 
> I'm happy with you just enjoying what I wrote, no need of reviewing or sharing or anything, but if you feel like it, the comment's box is open ;)


End file.
